The L.A. KISS

A new Arena Football League expansion team has one-upped its competitors by naming itself after one of the most famous bands in rock history. Introducing The L.A. KISS – coming to Southern California in 2014.

Although the moniker puts the team in Los Angeles, it will play its 2014 home games at Anaheim’s Honda Center. Season tickets are priced at $99 and inaugural season ticket holders will be comped to a KISS concert taking place at the Honda Center next year.

“There’s nothing like AFL and that’s what we’re going to promote,” KISS’ Gene Simmons said during a press conference Thursday. “This is about taking AFL to heights it’s never been before.”

The L.A. KISS will be Southern California’ s first Arena Football League team since the Los Angeles Avengers closed down in 2009 after playing eight seasons at the Staples Center.

“L.A. is dying for a football team,” Paul Stanley of KISS said. “What we want to see happen is to take the excitement that is AFL football and bring entertainment to it. We don’t put our name on something unless we believe in it. This is something that really resonates against us.”

But KISS is doing more for the AFL than just slapping its name on one of its teams. The band will play Orlando’s Amway Center tonight as a lead in to Saturday’s Arena Bowl. Featuring the defending champion Arizona Rattlers against the Philadelphia Soul, the game has yet another rock ’n’ roll connection – Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora were the original owners of the Philadelphia Soul.